Apply For a Research Grant

The Gesneriad Society, Inc. encourages research on the Gesneriaceae by providing grants from the Elvin McDonald Research Endowment Fund (hereafter, EMREF) to students and researchers who seek a better understanding of the anatomy, physiology, relationships, distribution, growth and development, or the pests and diseases of gesneriads. Grants from EMREF are usually in the range of $500-$2000, and may be used for a variety of specific purposes, such as travel during fieldwork to gather specimens or observe pollinators, or travel to examine specimens in herbaria or botanical gardens. Awards may also be used for manuscript preparation, photography, microscopy, molecular or ecological studies, and to supplement other funding that the researcher may receive. Advice on the fundability of the research may be sought from the EMREF Committee Chair whose name is below.

Guidelines for application for funds from the Elvin McDonald Research Endowment Fund

Research funded by the EMREF should be carried out at or under the auspices of a research institution, such as a college, university, botanical garden, or equivalent so that adequate facilities, library, and equipment are available to conduct the research.

Researchers can submit applications for awards by following these guidelines, or applications may be made on the researcher’s behalf. Items that should be part of the application include (the first four items should occupy no more than two single-spaced pages):

Title of project

Name, address, telephone, and email address of the applicant

Brief abstract including the amount of funds requested

Description of project including objectives and significance of of research

Literature cited

Budget, including mention of possible matching or other funds available for the research

Curriculum vitae of the applicant

Names, with addresses (preferably email), of persons who might provide letters of recommendation or evaluation of the research, if needed.

The complete application (postmarked no later than 1 February) should be sent to the EMREF Committee Chair whose name and address appears below and from whom additional information may be sought. The application should be sent as an attachment to an email message, with a signed copy sent by mail or fax. The application will be reviewed by the EMREF Committee, and if worthy of an award, a recommendation for funding will be sent to The Gesneriad Society President who will review the report of the committee for funding. The Gesneriad Society President will grant no awards without prior approval by the EMREF Committee. Recipients will be notified by the end of June.

A strict accountability of funds must be made to The Gesneriad Society or to the EMREF Committee, and a brief report must be presented soon after the completion of the funded research. The report may be in the form of an article for publication in Gesneriads (or other journal with a brief summary for Gesneriads), and must include an acknowledgement of support by the EMREF. A copy of the publication or a written final report must be submitted to the EMREF Committee. Grant recipients are encouraged to support The Gesneriad Society with articles, plants, seeds, photographs, and information related to the research.

Awards may be renewed to support continuation of research, or new research by the same applicant may be funded following the same procedures for application provided that a report of the initial research was submitted. Subsequent funding to the same researcher may be less than the initial award to encourage looking elsewhere for funding and to encourage applications by others.

The EMREF Committee and/or The Gesneriad Society shall neither be held liable for any action the researcher might take while using the awarded funds nor be responsible for any tax implications of the award.